License plate and holder



June 8 1926.

H, H. wlEBE LICENSE LA''E AND HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig M Filed Dec. 8, 1923 j @gwn i TT aufm; 4N/W June 8, 192s. 1,588,075

H. H. WIEBE LICENSE PLTEv AND HOLDER Filed DGO. 8. 1923 2 lSheets-Sheet v2 Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES f Y1,588,075 y nAnaY LLIWIEBE, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.'

. LIcENsE PLATE AND HOLDER.

Application mea necember s, 1923.1'siaiNaeraaia n i ji 1 l v 'I My present invention relates to vehicle license plates and holders therefor and has for its object to `permanently securesaid4 holders tok vehiclessothat they cannot be removed without m'utilating the holder or` vehicle and to provide fragile license plates of cast metal or other suitable material vthat will be broken*` or mutilated if tampered with in an attempt to remove said license v plates from their holders or iinV an attempt to alter their identifying characters. Y

Said invention also provides for the locking of license plates in their holders by proper officials to .prevent the owner or an same.

Said invention further provides a-license comprising a numberl plate which may bey carried by a vehicle throughout its `life and a removable date plate which may. yalso carry other information such as the name ofthe State issuing the license. yEither plate may carry other information such as thefname and type of the vehicle,engine number j or other identifying character` Such. information enables an` officer `to tell `at ai glance whether or not the license is on thevchicle forwfhichl it was originally-issued. i i a 1 l Preferably, he date plate willhave ferent color each yea-rse asto m'akefthe same moreconspicumis'... '.1 L

The improved holder prevents the loss of license plates and if; a vehicle has a-broken -or mutilatedy licensel platesitl is an yindication that the vehicle hasbeen stolen or that .theA license plate has been transferred from another car. i, g 'Totheabove end, ;e'nerallystated,4 the invention consists of the novel devices and scribedfandv defined in the claims.

f -In the accompanying drawings,. vwhich l y Y :13. an opening isiirst krcutnrsaid back' with substantiallythe sam-e outlines as the inner 100 illustrate theV invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout- .the several 4lviews Y. Referringto the drawings: g f

l Fig. l is a rear elevation, of atouri'ng au?4 tomobile having one form ofthe improved license and holderv applied thereto; 4 Fig. 2' isV anl enlarged viewofthe'license and holder together withy the surrounding ,portions of the lvehicle body, yas shown in Fig.'1;

been removed and otherpartsbroken away; `l

unauthorized person 'from removing the combinations of ydevices hereinafter, des` Fig. 3 is ay view corresponding to Fig.`2

f4 is a View yprincipally'in horizontal section taken .on the-Airregular line 4--4f` of Flg Y r r r .Figs.5 and' arelfl'respectively,` 'rear per- 60 vspectiv'e l'views ofthe number'plate'and date Parts scale, together with a part -of the truck 7 frameyand f v 11 shows ya number plate permanently l k75 attached to 'an automobileradiator. n v

In Fig. 1 is shown an automobile ofthe ytouring type and indicated Aas an entirety bythe numeral 12 with the exception of thegback 13 ofits body, 4and` spare. tire v14 80 carried by the lframe of said automobile,

rearward of its back 13.

y l Referring Vfirst to the invention .shownl in Figs.l 1 to V7, inclusive. the numeral 15 indicates a holder comprising a pressed metal youter member 16. and a cast relatively heavy 'inner member' 17j`havin'ga relatively large ,y rectangular horizontally extended opening y18 andv a relatively smallrectangular vertically extended opening 19 located relatively 90 closeto thefleft-hand endfof the opening @18. Thisholder 15' may be attachedtov a vehicley at any suitable place, .but .it is preferably located".I 'as shownzifn Fig.` 1, `in the vehicleback 13 above the spare tire 14 where 95 it'may be easily seen and be out ofthe dust 'and mud. f l

` In applying the Yliolller to th'evvehicle back i opening. placed against the inner surfaceV of the vehicle back 13 and `rigidly secured thereto by brazing, rivets, 'rolling the mar- 105 ginal edge lportion of said back, at the open-kv "ingtherein, through theopeni'ngs 18and .19 'and over the respective edge portions 'of said member into interlockingengagement therewith,`v or'in anyother suitable way. Y* The 110 outer `member 16 y.is then secured to the vehicle back 13 and inner member 17v "the same or. anyrv other. suitable mannen? As the outer member 1'6 is relatively thin, the same Will closely engage the vehicle back'l and give the holder lrasneatnandz linishedi .ap-:11. pearance.

Integrally or otherwise. fornieelwith'fthev'I inner member 17 is a oasing20 that is entirely closed except for the openings 18andL 19in thevinnenmember 17.. Pressed from the outer memer16`is an outstanding endless stop or retaining -bead 21 which. is lol cated intermediate of the edges of the inner member 17and extends parallel thereto' VThe outer member 16 iscut away to aiord' yan opening that is 'coincident with theJopen-ing 18, and through which openings, accessA to the intenior `of the casing 2`0` may4 be had'. Rigidly secu-red tol the innerlface ofthe inner member 17 at each end thereof is'a'lhigh class lock v22,- and 23 and having lock ,bolts arranged, when projecting, to eXtend,' 'the f former into the opening'18 and thel'atter into theopening 19. The casingsforifthe .tuml'Jl-'ers of these locks 22v and 23' extendI outward through aperturesin theouter member'16 provided therefor. Two laterally l spaced. aperturesV 24vare formed in the outer member 16 in fron-tof the opening 19' in the inner` nilernberl17 for a purposethat yivil'l presently.. appear.

. "Theinventionalso provides a license comprising ,a number pl'atef25 and a date pla-.te

26,. and which plates overlie fthe openings 18 and'19', respectively,Y and eompletelyiiill thespace Withinthe bead 21.-' ThisV bead 21 clo'selyiengages the marginal edge portions oftheiplates25 and 26except, at their abuttingaedges Wheretheylclosely engage `,one another, thus making. it v'd-iiicult,tovinsert a .tool on'otheninstrument,under the-plates'25 A and v26 for the punpose of, prying Athe same fromthe holden 15.

. Onthe .back'ofthe -number platek 25rv is a hinge-acting,`V lug 27 v .and a.. lockaelement 28, and on thebackl ofthe licenseplate26 is al lringe-actingzlug,29.'.and a. loop-like look element. 30. ."TheQhinge-acting :lugs l27 and 29 are arranged. to: interlock. with theinner member 17, and the lock elements`2`8and. 30 i aref adaptedl to receivethelock vbolts of the locks r22a1nd .23', nespectively.. to secure the `plates25 and26 tothe holder'l.,P It ,Willlbe noted that .thehinge-actingglug, 27 and lock yelement 28.1entenclinto the casing20throug-h the .opening 18f and that. the hingefacting. lug 29and locklelement 8O.l extend intothe casf ing, 20' .through the opening 19Lm and., apertures24.

The number'ofthelicense is indicated on ",thefplate '.24 bvxm'eans. ofvraised letters 31 formed therewith.; Indicated on the plate v26,` bvmeans. of raised. characters, is the name 32 of theState issuing.: the license, the serial number 33,2.the year 34,.,the nameof -the vehicle 35', the type `of body and number 36,'

andiengine number 37.*; In someainstances it maybe desirable to have the information 35,

36 and 37 on the plate 25, and which plate .mayremain.With1tl1efvehicle throughout its life While a new plate 26 Will have to be provided yeac-lryear to indicate that the license is kept in force from year to year. Preferablytheplates25a nd 26 Will be of a dierent coloras indicated at 88. and 39, respectively, andthecolor o f the-plate 26 Will'be changed each year. The plates 25 andf26 are preferably' made fromA a castv material that'wil'l: stand ordinary rou-gh usage'but `Willibreak or be mutilated incase 1an lattempt is nia-de to remove theV same fromy the holder 15l or'fdeface the' characters thereon.

' Asrfpreviously stated, lthef'plates, -25 land 2`6a're: preferably locked to the holder'4 15'f by y anioiiiciahand the` keys retained by lriinso that, the-'owner'.'of the vehicle vor an-Iunauthori'zed persony CannotA shift the license plates-from one, vehiclek to anotherlor substitutebther plates therefor.

f A 'tail lamp 40 is' locatedf-.ab'cvethe numin the bead 46 constitutesv a platef'l50' in a broad, senseii This plate 50, aty the left-hand `end'of the numerals 44V isrcut awa-yf. at: 51'ft0 receive airemovable licenseplate 52; Surdirectly from' the yback 45 of'the back-45p Thatl portionl of the body-45'Withroundingthe opening 51eV atfthednne'rlface lof the'back45 is an inner frame member-53.

Formed With the license plate 52 ilsthezname 54: of' tlieState issuing` the license, the 'serial number i 55., and year 56. ""The license plate 52 may be-formed from the same vmaterial as the plate's251iand 26v an'dfis secured'ftothe inner member 153. in the same mannerl that separable vhinge-actinglug' 57 and amloop like lock element 58 and lock 59.

The tail lamp 45` is. secured -to'V the/aback 45 abovev the 'number platel 50. and arranged to illuminate 'said' plate and the license plate 52. f

v'Referring now to the invention illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, which. is especi'allyadapted for use on trucks, the numeralGOindicates a truchas an entirety with the exceptionof the frame`61, to the rearg'cross vmember of@ which issecured a cast casing`62 ha-vingen its face an endlessretaimngfbea'd`63.' Jl-On which is formed the name 68 ofthe State issuing the license, the serial number 69, year 70, name of the truck 71, kind of vehicle 72, and engine number 7 3. The license plate 67 is secured to the casing 62 in the same manner that the license plates 26 yand 52 are secured, and only the lock 7 4 of which is shown. A tail lamp 75 is secured to the casing 62 above the number plate 65 and is arranged to illuminate said plate andthe license pl-ate'67.

In Fig. l1 is illustrated a radiator 76, in the upper face of which is pressed or other-v wise permanently formed the same license number 77, as shown in Fig. 8. A bead .7 8 surrounds this number.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a license plate holder having an inset open seat access to which is closed at the back thereof, a fragile cast license dplate mounted in and closing i Said seat an having identifying characters cast as anintegral part with the outer f ace thereof, and means including concealed locking elements one of which is key-actuated for removably securing the license plate in ksaid seat.

2. Means for identifying alicensed vehicle including a number plate, a fragile cast plate having identifyingv characters cast as an integral part with the outer face thereof, said cast plate being removably mounted in and closing a depressed open seat access to which is closed at the back thereof and which cast i plate is closely associated with the number plate, and means including concealed locking elements one of which is key-actuated for removably securing they cast plate inits seat. A

3. The combination with the vehicle body,y of a two portion holder comprising inner and outer connected members between which said body extends, removable license plates mounted in depressed seats in said outer` 

